A Dormant Threat
by Lady Flick
Summary: POST S1. Everyone assumed Amon acted alone. But everyone was wrong. What the new Team Avatar believed was the end to an anti-bender revolution was actually just the beginning. MAKORRA. IROSAMI.


**AUTHOR'S NOTES;**

It has been a horrendously long time since I've surged through pages of fanfiction let alone uploaded anything. However, with the new season of Avatar out and completed, I felt compelled to start my fangirling earlier this time around (as I started quite late with the A:TLA series). Keep in mine, the characters are not fully developed in the show and there are _many_ ways the series could turn. This is one concept that has been flitting about in my head. It will answer many questions between series and reintroduce ideas from the A:TLA series which I hope A:TLA fans will enjoy and appreciate! Please let me know what you think, I'm still trying to find the right _voice_ for each character, so bear with me!

**Flick**

* * *

**Legend of Korra : Book II**

**_A Dormant Threat_**

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**i.**

_Asylum Break_

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**.**

**.**

"We've just been informed that Noatak's escape vessel has been sabotaged."

An aged hand lifted a dainty tea cup to a pair of dry, wrinkled lips. The woman's eyes remained focused on the table, not bothering to acknowledge her company. A breathy sigh escaped her, and she closed her tired, weary eyes. "That idiot," she chided, "People can't do a thing for themselves these days, relying so much on new technology."

"What's our plan of action now?"

Fierce golden eyes peered at the young man from the dim room and for a moment he felt as though he was nothing more than a boy about to be reprimanded for misbehaving. "Take things into our hands, that's what." The old woman stood from her seat and brushed away a strand of brittle, gray hair. She avoided the mirror as she paced by it, hating the dried up reflection that had come to greet her.

She used to be so beautiful, so strong, so _feared_.

As she approached, the guard physically gulped. _Pathetic_. Though could she blame him? She had gotten into his head, made him hers to control. At first it was lust and devotion, before eventually blooming to fear. He was weak-minded, the perfect errand boy to serve her every whim and desire.

"What can I do for you?" He murmured from the threshold.

"You've been so good to me," the woman said softly, reaching up a freshly manicured hand to caress his face. "But I cannot stay here if I want this revolution to take force. You have to help me escape. You can do that, can't you?"

Her guard nodded, in earnest or in fear, the woman couldn't distinguish.

"Anything for you, Princess Azula."

**.**

**.**

The sun just breached the horizon, sending golden rays dancing across Yue Bay. The waters gently rippled to the morning breeze, the dawn of a new day, the threat of Amon behind Republic City. Mako sighed at the vision before him, so serene and natural. The view was one thing from the tower he and Bolin occupied on the mainland, but it was something else entirely from Air Temple Island.

Perhaps it was simply that he was away from the busy streets, the satomobiles beeping and buzzing, the people yelling and shouting. He felt at peace with himself, as though a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders and for the first time in a long time, he felt as though there was hope for him and his brother. That they might end up alright despite their situation.

Or maybe it was because of the lithe waterbender coincidentally in his line of vision, practicing with Tenzin in the courtyard below.

"Concentrate, Korra! You're losing your focus!"

How could he help but allow the ghost of a smile tug at the corners of his lips?

The young Avatar bristled at her teacher, dropping her arms to her sides much in the manner of a four year old. "I'm _trying!_" She insisted, stomping her foot on the ground, "It's just so _hard!_" Airbending had come naturally to her when she needed it most, but now that her life was no longer in danger, it seemed that her connection was severing. "Stupid airbending. Can't I be the Avatar with only three elements? That's, what, seventy-five percent. That's still passing, isn't it?"

"An Avatar can't just _settle_," chimed in Jinora.

Tenzin gave his eldest daughter an appraising look, "You are quite right," before glancing back his pupil's way_._ "I never knew you were one to settle for average," The monk taunted instead, knowing that baiting the waterbender would be the best approach of eliciting dedication.

Korra instantly inflamed at his comment and rose to the challenge.

Unfortunately for Tenzin, that meant missing both morning tea and breakfast, and nearly lunch had Pema not intruded and demanded the two take a break.

The Avatar-in-Training pouted and sulked into the house to eat, tugged along by Ikki and Meelo.

"Thank you, Pema," Tenzin said, greeting his wife with a kiss, "That girl is going to age me twice as fast at this rate."

The older woman laughed. "Come now, be glad she's a hard worker. It's that drive that will lend her strength."

Lunch consisted of raisins, nuts and berries grown on the island, and a well-tossed, freshly chopped salad. Korra couldn't help but laugh at Bolin's expression. "Not enough for ya, big guy?" She teased, clapping a hand onto his shoulder as she took a seat beside him.

The earthbender shrugged. "I'm happy with anything and extremely grateful," he answered, then, behind his hand, added a humorously loud, "But I wouldn't mind a healthy porkchop or something once in awhile."

Korra chuckled and shook her head, though as she served herself some salad, couldn't help but agree. The growling of her stomach told her that she would need to pay a visit to the mainland and find some food if she wanted to last through the rest of the day.

"So where's Mako?" The young Avatar couldn't help but ask.

"Who knows, he's been keeping to himself mostly," Bolin answered between crunches of the crisp, fresh leaves, "Probably in his room thinking about new ways for us to make some money."

"His loss," Asami muttered as she helped herself to seconds.

Korra felt the tension in the air thickening and suddenly realized just why Mako was hiding out. Though he wasn't anywhere nearby, the forced nonchalance with which Asami conducted herself set the whole table at ill ease. The Avatar rose and, with a quick bow to Tenzin and Pema, excused herself from the meal to continue practicing. Had she glanced back at the group, Korra would have seen Asami visibly relax at her departure.

The waterbender had barely begun her intensive training when a familiar voice broke into her concentration.

"At it for three hours straight and you still can't get enough?"

Without looking, the young woman laughed, going through the fluid motions of her favorite element. "The world doesn't wait for you, Mako," Korra responded, amused, "It just keeps on turning. I have to keep pace!" A stream of water launched upwards at her command, just barely missing the firebender peering from tree. Korra glanced up at him, hand on her hip, and chuckled. "Now what are you doing spying on me, creep?"

"Would you believe that I just happen to like sitting in trees?"

"I wouldn't believe that you did anything besides work all day," the Avatar snorted.

Mako frowned, though it didn't stay in place for long. Something akin to affection read across his feature prompting the young woman to turn away. The firebender mentally chided himself at his mistake. _She's still unsure,_ his mind whispered, _Don't look so damn desperate_. "So," the bender declared, voice a tenor deeper than usual as he leapt down from the tree, "Are you hungry?"

**.**

**.**

"What _is_ this food?" Korra said in sheer wonder as she eyed the custard tin sitting in her lap. It was half gone and quickly disappearing as she shoveled spoonful after spoonful into her mouth. "It's _delicious_, the sweetest dessert I've ever tasted!"

Mako couldn't help but laugh at her antics and shrugged, watching the girl of his dreams make a mess on her face, his own custard sitting forgotten on the lip of the stone fountain beside him. "It's some sort of Fire Nation dessert," he responded, reaching forward to brush remnants of said food from Korra's chin. "Makes you appreciate ancient cultures, doesn't it?"

He managed to catch a glimpse of the blush that bloomed across her face before the waterbender looked down, hiding behind her hair.

"Back in the South Pole I grew up with nothing but Water Tribe culture, not that I'm complaining, but it's so nice to see the world, you know? To get out here? _Live_?" There was such honesty in her voice, that her companion had no hope of resisting her. Korra had such passion for life, for adventure, it was intoxicating. "Don't get me wrong, I loved my home, but there's so much to see," Korra went on, not minding Mako's silent attention (or perhaps pointedly ignoring it), "Isn't it strange to think you've got the world at your feet, everything you could possibly want at your fingertips, and then realizing that you had simply conquered but a fraction of a fraction of the world?"

"Yeah…strange…" Mako echoed, not really listening.

Korra sighed then, setting her plate aside. "Listen, Mako, I'm sorry I freaked out the other day—"

"There you are!"

The duo spun around (Mako fighting down the urge to hurl a fire ball at the intruding party) just as Bolin and Asami rounded a corner of the park on Naga.

"What is it?" Korra was the first on her feet, eyebrows furrowing in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Chief Beifong, she says she'd like to see you. It's an emergency!"

**.**

**.**

Korra's cobalt eyes followed the pacing forms of Lin and Tenzin, back and forth across the room like moving targets at a carnival game. No one briefed her on the case and she was growing increasingly impatient awaiting Bumi. General Iroh sat beside her, shifting every once in awhile, but otherwise holding his composure far better than his companions.

"I sent for him immediately, and he was residing at the island with us," the young general said, breaking the silence with a crisp voice that could set an angered platypus-bear at ease. "Surely whatever is keeping him is urgent and—"

"_Wooo-eeee_ is this custard good!" was followed by a loud slam of the metal door against the metal wall. Bumi stood in the threshold, holding a tin of the Fire Nation sweet in his hand, "You've all got to try some, I swear they make it differently here!"

"I'm sure that's all well and good, but as a member of the Fire Nation fleet, I expect you to comport yourself in a professional manner," General Iroh declared sagely, eyeing his friend and cohort. "_Yes_, even when dealing with your brother," he added as an afterthought.

Korra swore she saw a vein throb in Tenzin's temple. The monk scowled, "You kept us all waiting to satisfy your sweet tooth? What if this was an emergency? Well—it _is_ an emergency! For Spirits' sake, take a seat and put that darned dessert down for two seconds!"

Bumi did so, but not before blatantly finishing the custard and disposing of the tin and spoon into the nearest receptacle, which, of course, was down the hall near the lavatory. By the time Bumi returned, Tenzin had just about had it. A firm hand touched his shoulder, settling him down.

Korra had never seen anyone control the monk's rage in such a manner and she wondered just how deeply the connection ran between Chief Beifong and her airbending master.

"Tenzin, it will do no good to bicker. We must get on with the case, though we could have forged a path into it had we not been kept waiting." Lin's eyes narrowed at the offending Avatar descendant, and Bumi only grinned.

"A little laughter in your life would do your wrinkles good, Lin!"

At that point Korra knew she was in for a _long_ meeting.

**.**

**.**

"Azula, huh?" Bolin said pensively, skipping a rock across the shore. "Isn't she like, some old lady now?"

"Yeah, but so is Master Katara and she's the fiercest waterbender I've ever seen," Korra reasoned, picking up a smooth stone. "I always thought Azula had gone insane though, and that Aang took her bending." Or did he reserve that power for immediate threats? "In any case, she's long gone now, apparently." The waterbender hurled the rock into the waves, as far as she could throw.

Bolin raised a brow, "The point is to get it to skid over the water."

"I _know_ that," was the girl's quick reply. At her friend's crestfallen face, she sighed. "I'm sorry Bo, I'm just stressed. All these generations everyone assumed Azula was some harmless spinster in that asylum, but she's just as devious as ever. If only there was some way to get into her head. Any lead as to where what her plans might be."

"But why would she be an anti-bender enthusiast? She's a _firebender_!" Bolin exclaimed, bending an array of misshapen stones from the ground and skipping them at once over the waves. "You know, if you really want to try and understand her, your best bet would probably be to ask her brother. I know Mako inside and out."

Korra's eyes widened and she took the earthbender into a sisterly embrace, "You are a _genius_!"

"I've always thought so," Bolin said with a crooked grin.

The Avatar looked into the distance long after her companion went to bed, and made plans to visit the Fire Nation.

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**ENDNOTES;**

So...? : )


End file.
